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Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto joined City of Asylum to speak about immigration. Here are several memorable quotes from his speech.

“I’m sure you know we are on the right side of history, all of us and what we are doing. The only question is when history catches up.”

“We have something amazing happening in Pittsburgh by being able to bringing people in from around the world.”

“This city is in transition, but it’s always been in transition. It was in transitioin in 1921 when it was becoming an industrial giant on a global scale and on a global map when my grandfather came over. And they told him, ‘Go back.’ Because at that time the ‘others’ were the Italians. And before that it was the Germans and the Irish. And before that the French and the Native Americans… So we have to understand that that history is a part of it and if we don’t make the changes that are necessary, we just repeat the same problems once again.”

“Let us be the ones that make the change. Let us be the ones that are the welcomers.”

About City of Asylum

City of Asylum creates a thriving community for writers, readers, and neighbors. We provide sanctuary to endangered literary writers, and offer a broad range of literary programs in a community setting to encourage cross-cultural exchange.